


The Prince's Daughter

by b1ffle



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-11
Updated: 2016-10-22
Packaged: 2018-06-01 17:31:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 12,914
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6529426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/b1ffle/pseuds/b1ffle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Potion Master's daughter starts the same year as the Golden Trio and befriends a pudgy, awkward boy named Neville Longbottom. Having grown up in the castle, she knows every nook, cranny, and secret passage way in the sprawling building. How interesting can one single girl make school?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The beginning of everything

August 7th, 1980

Severus Snape sat in the waiting room numbly. The words "unexpected" and "died during childbirth" still ringing fresh in his mind. He had been ushered out of the room as soon at the midwife sensed something was wrong. 

The day he and Amelia had been preparing for for 8 months was here and all was well. 14 hours into Amelia's labor, the midwife gave her the instructions to push while Severus held her hand. One hard push, and her hand suddenly fell limp in his, her whole body slack. The midwife glanced up and, seeing Amelia, whispered "Oh God". Severus was quickly swept out of the room by nurses and told to wait. 

Now he sat in the waiting room, the ring in his pocket completely useless now, having just been told, "It was completely unexpected, we don't know what went wrong. She died during child birth, we're very sorry". He asked the healer for papers to sign the baby up for adoption. The healer nodded sadly before going to get them. Shortly after, another healer came to him holding a small pink bundle and placed it in his arms. 

"We're not quite sure how, but she gave birth to a healthy baby girl," the healer said before going off. 

He looked down at the baby in his arms, the infant so unaware of the death surrounding her life. The baby gave a soft giggle and opened her eyes, nearly black just like her father's. He moved his hand to brush over her soft black hair and she grabbed onto his finger with her tiny hands. 

The first healer returned with a small stack of parchment. "Here you are, sir. We just need you to sign-"

"No," Severus said. "No, those won't be necessary." He stared transfixed at the baby girl. "May I see her birth certificate?"

"Oh, yes, sir! She still needs a name, after all," and the healer ran off to find it. 

After signing the paper, he went back to his and Amelia's small cottage in Hogsmeade, holding the newly named Samara Temperance Snape in his arms. He looked around, the house seeming much more empty than he could ever remember. He sighed and took the sleeping baby off to her crib. 

After he was sure Samara would stay asleep he went back to the living room. He sat down on the couch and buried his head in his hands, and before he could stop himself, he was sobbing. He took the ring from his pocket and stared at it as if it could somehow bring his dear Amelia back. 

Loud crying suddenly rang from the nursery in the back. Severus wiped his eyes and put the ring away. Right then, he decided something: He was going to be strong for Samara. He was going to be the best damn single father he could possibly be. For Samara, for Amelia, for himself. 

With a new confidence, he made his way to the baby and scooped her up. Shushing her, he carried her to the kitchen where the pre-made bottles of milk were and pulled one out. He popped it into her mouth, effectively silencing her. He went back to the living room and sat on the couch again. 

"We'll be okay," he said more to himself than Samara. "We'll be okay."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

August 15, 1981

He made his way out of Hogwarts having just had his interview with Dumbledore. Okay, so he didn't get the Defense Against the Dark Arts position, so what? Started September 1, he would officially be Hogwarts's new Potion Master. 

Okay, maybe he brought Samara with him to the interview for a bit of sympathy. He used the excuse "I'm very sorry, I couldn't find anyone to keep her" which was only half a lie. He could have asked the Malfoys to keep her. They had a son about her age, anyways, and was sure they wouldn't object. But what kind of a father would he be to leave his 1 year old with a bunch of Death Eaters while he went to a job interview? 

Dumbledore had immediately fallen in love with the toddler, holding her in his lap for most of the interview while she played with his beard. While he acted like that wasn't the reason he allowed Severus to have the job, it was a large part of it. 

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

October 18th, 1982

Severus was well into his Friday afternoon Double Potions class. He would occasionally glance over to the play pen by his desk to ensure the now two-year-old Samara was well. 

Now as he glanced over at it, he noticed the play pen was empty save for some toys. Panic shot through him as he stopped his lecture mid-sentence. The students looked around in confusion. Someone muttered "the baby's missing" as Severus looked over at the door which stood slightly ajar, just enough for Samara to slip through. 

"Remain here and continue with the potion. Five minutes before class ends, but some in a flask, label it with your name, and put it on my desk for your marks," Severus said quickly, his voice wavering. He shot out the door and ran down the hallway, thinking of every possible danger his daughter could have gotten into. 

Meanwhile, Samara had wandered over to Hagrid's cabin. She held her father's wand in one hand, waving it and shouting "Especo Patonim!" The wand gave out a small puff of silver, almost as if it knew what she was trying to say. 

Hagrid glanced out of the window of his cabin. Upon spotting the girl, he thought it odd that Samara and Severus would be outside during classes. Upon watching her more, he saw that she was alone and was waving around a wand. He immediately ran outside to her. 

"Hey there, Sam," Hagrid said as he crouched down in front of her. "Uh, where's yer dad at?"

She giggled and pointed the wand at him, babbling some spell she had heard her father say, which sounded vaguely like "Alohomora" but came out extremely botched from the toddler's mouth. Satisfied that she couldn't accidentally hurt him (considering she expected an unlocking charm to harm him), he scooped her up and carried her to the castle. 

Hagrid searched around for Severus a bit and eventually came upon him and McGonagall rushing down a hallway, the woman shouting "Of all the things to lose, you lose your own child! You can remember how to make a millions potions, yet you can't even keep track of your own child!" 

"Professor Snape, I think I found what yer looking for," Hagrid called. 

Severus immediately turned and the relief that flooded through him left him dizzy. He nearly ran over to Hagrid, taking the child from him. 

"Samara Temperance Snape, don't you ever..." Severus said as he walked down the hall back to the dungeons. He stopped a few steps away and turned back. "And thank you, Hagrid."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoyed! Leave a comment on how you liked it and what I can improve. Thank you so much for reading! -B1


	2. The Sorting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first years are sorted and it doesn't quite go as expected

"Who's that girl there?" Harry asked, indicating the black-haired girl talking to one of the professors. 

"The Head of Slytherin's daughter, I reckon," Ron answered. "Fred and George told me about her, say she's real nice but her dad is an absolute arse. Favors his own house like nobody's business. Reckon he'll have a fit if she's sorted into any other."

"She's gorgeous," was Neville's wide-eyed comment. 

When the professor noticed all the first years had arrived, he motioned for the girl to join them. Her eyes landed on Harry and she walked over to him. 

"Hello," she said nervously. "I'm Samara. Samara Snape. I'm the potion professor's daughter." She stuck her hand out for him to shake. Harry noticed something strange with the way she spoke. Her "s" sounds sounded slightly lispish and her "r"s sounded more like "w"s. It eased Harry's nerves around her as he saw that a girl as pretty as her wasn't perfect. 

"Well, I'm Harry. Harry Potter," Harry said, taking her hand and shaking it. 

Her eyes widened in surprise for a moment before she said, "Well, it's quite nice to meet you, Harry Potter."

"I'm Ron Weasley," said Ron. 

"Oh, you're Fred and George's little brother, right?" she asked. Ron nodded. "And what's your name?" she turned and asked Neville. 

Neville merely stood there wide-eyed, gaping at Samara for a moment before pulling himself together enough to say, "Oh, uhm, N-Neville Longbottom." 

"Where do you all suppose you'll be sorted? I expect Slytherin. My father is the head of that house," Samara said. 

"I hope Gryffindor. That's where my brothers have all been sorted," Ron answered.

"I'm sure I'll be Hufflepuff," said Neville in a small, sad voice. 

"Oh don't say that, Neville," Samara said reassuringly. Neville nodded. 

"I don't know anything about the houses, honestly," Harry said. 

Before Samara could say anything, Dumbledore had called for silence in the Hall before beginning his short start of term speech. 

"Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! I hope you all had a wonderful Summer. We have, returning to us, our Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Quirrell. Now, for what I'm sure all first years have been waiting for, let the sorting begin!" 

Professor McGonagall unrolled a large roll of parchment and began reading off names, beginning with "Abbot, Hannah". Finally she got to "Longbottom, Neville" and Neville stepped up, white as a sheet and trembling terribly. Professor McGonagall placed the Sorting Hat on his head. It was silent for nearly a minute, pondering its choice carefully. It finally shouted out "GRYFFINDOR" and Neville was so frightened by the shout that he took off across the Great Hall with the hat on his head. After he returned the hat, looking extremely embarrassed, the sorting continued.

When it got to Harry, the hat pondered for a minute, much as it had with Neville before shouting out "GRYFFINDOR". Down the parchment McGonagall called the names until she finally called "Snape, Samara". The professor Samara had been talking to perked up in his seat. 

The hat was placed on her head. Almost like a hallucination, Samara heard its voice in her head. 

"Severus Snape's daughter, eh?" she heard it say. "It would be easy to place you in Slytherin, wouldn't it?" As the hat took more time making its decision, both Samara and the professor grew more nervous. "But no, you're not a Slytherin." Samara felt her heart sink. "Spitfire, you are. I know just where to put you. GRYFFINDOR!" 

When the hat was removed, she stood and looked back at the professor she had been talking to. He was clapping and nodded reassuringly. She went and sat down at the Gryffindor table, quite upset with her sorting. 

After the feast, Samara ignored Percy's shouts of, "First years, follow me!" and went to the professor she had been talking to. 

"Gryffindor. I got bloody Gryffindor. I think I expected Hufflepuff before Gryffindor," she said angrily. 

"There's nothing I can do, Samara," the professor replied, standing up. 

"Dad, you're the head of one of the houses! Surely there's something you can do!" 

"I said there's nothing I can do. The hat does not lie, Samara. Now go, go find your roommates. Lessons start tomorrow and I need to prepare," he said before leaving her alone to fume in the Great Hall before she finally decided to march out just as the last students were leaving.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading yet another chapter of this! Tell me what you liked or what I could improve on. I have an interesting plan for the structure of this fic if you decide to stick around, which I hope you do. -B1


	3. Quasimodo and the Lisp

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Why Samara talks so weird and how she learns that that's okay.

When Samara was 7 months old and her teeth started growing in, Severus didn't give it a second thought that her two front top teeth didn't grow in. 

When Samara was almost 2 and she had almost all her teeth, her front two still hadn't grown in. It was causing her speech to sounds strange, her "s"s sounding more like "th"s and her "r"s like "w"s. Severus grew a bit worried but figured they would grow in any day now. 

When Samara was 3 and a half and still no front teeth, Severus took her to Madam Pomfrey who, after a quick examination of the toddler's mouth, declared that Samara just didn't have any front baby teeth. She said her adult ones should grow in when she was about 7 or 8 and her speech should become normal once she had all the teeth she needed. 

On Samara's 8th birthday, she awoke to horrible pain in the front of her mouth. She went to the bathroom to examine it in the mirror and saw a bit of white peeking through the pink of her gums. 

"Dad!" she yelled, running into Severus's room and jumping on his bed. "Dad, wake up! Wake up, you gotta see this!" She was now jumping up and down on the bed in an attempt to wake him. 

"Samara, please stop jumping before you hurt yourself!" Severus exclaimed. Samara stopped jumping and sat down. 

"Dad, look at this," she said and then opened her mouth and pointed to the gap in her teeth where the beginnings of a tooth was starting to form.

"Oh, goodness, would you look at that!" Severus said excitedly. "I told you they would grow in." 

Samara smiled widely before she remembered something. "It's my birthday!" she exclaimed. 

"That's right, you're 8 now, aren't you?" Severus said, nodding. "Well, I ask you every year. So, what would you like this year?"

Samara seemed to think for a moment before saying, "Dad, I know I ask you every year and every year you say no, but this year I really, really, really want a cat." She held her breath while he considered it. 

"Alright," he finally said. "I think we can get a cat this year." 

Samara let out a squeal of happiness and hugged him tightly. "I'm gonna go get changed!" she said and bounded out of the room. 

An hour later, Samara and Severus were in Diagon Alley's Magical Menagerie looking through the rows of cages containing various cats and kneazles. After they had looked for a while, they came upon a black cat that was missing both its right eye and leg and was cowering in the far back corner of its cage. Samara stopped and gazed at it in wonder. 

"I want that one," she declared. 

"Oh, no, deary," the saleswoman said. "You don't want that one. Come, we have much prettier cats over-"

"No, I said I want this one," Samara insisted. She read the paper on the cage door. It read, "Quasimodo: 1 1/2 years old, missing one eye and one leg. Found in Knockturn Alley and donated to the Menagerie on January 22, 1988."

"This one, dad," she said, turning to Severus. 

"Alright then," he said. "How much for the cat?"

After paying 11 Galleons for Quasimodo (cheap compared to the other cats which were all upwards of 25 Galleons) and 5 more for all of the necessary supplies, they made it home a few minutes. Samara quickly decided that yes, this definitely was the best birthday ever. 

Her teeth grew in but her lisp stayed. When she was 9, a few 3rd year Slytherin boys would laugh at her and tell her she sounded like a baby. She'd then go crying to Severus and tell her what they had said. 

"Don't listen to them, Samara," Severus said reassuringly. "The way you talk just makes you special."

Samara wiped her eyes and asked, "In a bad way?"

"No, in the best way possible."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading! I plan on making every other chapter a flashback chapter. Hope you enjoy! -B1


	4. Meet the Roomies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Samara finally meets her roommates

Samara made it to her dorm to find Quasimodo curled up on her pillow and the 3 other girls already unpacking. 

"Did you see that one girl? She didn't look too happy to be Gryffindor," said an Indian girl. "She seems bratty. I'm hoping she's not our other roommate."

Samara cleared her throat loudly, knowing immediately that the girl was talking about her. The girl turned around to face Samara, looking extremely embarrassed. 

"Oh, uhm, hi," the girl said over cheerfully. "I-I'm Parvati." She stuck out her hand for Samara to shake. 

Samara, ignoring Parvati, walked around her to her bed where Quasimodo lay. She opened her trunk at the foot of her bed and began unpacking. She didn't have much in her trunk other than clothes and a few framed pictures considering she still had most of her things in her room in the dungeon near her father's quarters. A girl with bushy hair and large front teeth walked up to her. 

"I'm Hermione Granger," the girl said and stuck her hand out. Samara took it. 

"Samara Snape, but you can call me Sam," Samara replied. "My dad is a professor here." 

"Oh, really?" Hermione said. "What does he teach?" 

"Potions," Samara answered, opening the wardrobe next to her bed to hang her clothes. 

"Is he who you were talking to before the Sorting?"

"Yeah, that was him."

"You look a lot like him." Samara wasn't sure if she should be offended. "What about your mother?" Hermione asked. 

Samara froze. She hadn't had anyone ask about her mother in years. When they did, they asked her father anyways. Of course she knew what happened to her mother, her father had told her when she asked a couple years ago. She had just never had to relay that information to anyone else. 

"Dead," Samara finally said. "Has been since the day I was born."

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Hermione said quietly. 

"It's alright. There's a picture of her," Samara said, pointing at a framed picture of a pregnant brown-haired woman sitting next to her father as they both laughed. "My father says I look just like her save for the hair and eyes. I got those from him. My mother was part... uhm.... never mind." 

The room was silent for a few moments after that as Hermione studied the picture, the only sound being the rustling of clothes being hung and folded. 

"That's a cute cat you've got there," said a girl from across the room, breaking the silence. "I'm Lavender, by the way. What's its name?"

"Quasimodo," said Samara. "But I just call him Quasi. He's only got one eye and one leg. We bought him like that. The lady didn't know how he lost it and tried to get me to buy a 'prettier' cat but I think he's just perfect." She scratched Quasi on the top of his head, eliciting a purr from him. 

"Oh, he's precious," Lavender said, getting up from her bed and going across the room to Quasi. She sat down on Samara's bed and pulled the cat into her lap. He instantly started purring at the attention he was getting. 

"Thanks. He's come a long way. When I first got him, he wouldn't let even me touch him. Now, he'll let anyone hold him as long as me or my dad are the room," Samara said as she finished putting the last of her clothes in the wardrobe. "Just a warning, for our first potions class, we'll be making a boil-curing potion. It's not too hard, but if you mess it up too bad, it'll cause boils rather than cure them." 

"Hey, Sam, I hope you don't mind my asking," Lavender began. Samara prepared herself for Lavender to ask about her mother's death or something of that sort. "But why do you talk the way you do?"

Samara sighed with relief. "Oh, I didn't have my two front teeth until I was 8. Madam Promfrey thought I would start talking normally after they grew in but i guess I just got used to talking like this," she ended with a shrug. 

"Haven't you ever tried therapy to fix it?" Hermione asked. 

Samara shrugged again. "Never saw the reason for it. My dad says it just makes me special, anyways." She starting changing in to her pajamas. 

"So, uhm, are you happy you're in Gryffindor?" Parvati asked, speaking for the first time since she tried to introduce herself. 

Samara sneered at her. "No, I'm not 'happy'," she said maliciously. "I'm not a bloody Gryffindor, I'm supposed to be a Slytherin. Bloody hat doesn't know anything." 

"So, uhm, I-I'm sorry about what I was saying when you walked in," Parvati said nervously. "I'm Parvati Patil. My sister was sorted into Ravenclaw." She stuck out her hand. Samara took it. 

"Next time you want to talk bad about someone, Parvati, always look behind you," Samara advised and climbed into bed, shooing Lavender off and letting Quasimodo cuddle up to her. 

It was nearly 3 in the morning and Samara still hadn't fallen asleep. She decided she couldn't handle the soft snores in the room and wind outside the window any longer and threw the covers off, waking Quasimodo. She got up, pulled on a sweater, and scooped up the still-half asleep cat. She snuck out of the room, closing the door very softly behind her. 

She opened the portrait slowly and poked her head out, looking around to make sure no one was out in the hallway. Once she was sure the coast was clear, she closed the portrait behind her and set off for the dungeons. 

Once there, she searched for the unmarked door to her father's apartment-like quarters and quickly found it. She pulled out her wand and whispered "Alohomora" to unlock it. She quickly entered, thankful she hadn't been caught sneaking around. She walked past the living room area into a small corridor and from there past what used to be her bedroom until she came to the last door of the hall and opened it. 

Severus's bed was pushed back to the far corner of the room and in it, he was fast asleep. Samara went and sat down at the foot of the bed. 

Severus awoke when he felt the foot of his bed dip under the weight of someone- or something. His barely-awake mind immediately began going through all of the horror stories Samara liked to read and tell him about. He recalled one called "The Rake" about a couple who awoke to a creature sitting at the foot of the bed that went and slaughtered the couples children. He slowly lifted his head to see and breathed a sigh of relief to see it was only Samara. He sat up.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. 

"Can't sleep," Samara replied, still holding Quasimodo. She looked up at her father and frowned. "Sorry for waking you."

Severus sighed. "What's the matter? Roommates scare you that much already?" he asked sarcastically. Samara smiled. 

"Well, I walked in to one girl, Parvati, calling me a brat, so that was an interesting introduction," Samara said, setting down Quasimodo on the bed. 

"Would you like me to give her hell in potions tomorrow?"

"Please don't, I actually would like some friends." Severus laughed at this. 

"Well, as your father, I have made it my goal in life to ensure you have absolutely no friends and especially no significant others." Samara rolled her eyes. 

"Is that why you've given George Weasley hell ever since you found out I had a crush on him? You know he'd never date me, right? If not because I'm two years younger than him, then because my father is the physical embodiment of Satan himself." 

"Oh, please, I'm not that bad. And why must you use words like that?" Severus asked. "'Embodiment'. You sound like Percy Weasley now." 

"Aw, I'm sorry, Dad. You need me to dumb it down for you?" Samara asked sarcastically. Now it was Severus's turn to roll his eyes. 

"Well, now that you've thoroughly insulted me, are you feeling any better?" Severus asked. Samara nodded. 

"Much. Thanks dad," Samara said, scooping Quasimodo back up and walking to the door. "I'll see you tomorrow!"

Back in her dorm, Samara managed to get a couple hours of sleep before Quasimodo woke her up by kneading her back, signaling that it was around 7 in the morning. She dressed and did her hair quickly, simply brushing it to get the knots out, and headed to the Great Hall to begin her first formal day of schooling at Hogwarts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Your mother was part what, Samara?! Maybe we'll find out later! Thanks for reading! -B1


	5. Sweaters, Frogs, and Peeves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Severus can't say no and Samara makes a friend

Minerva McGonagall immediately knew something was wrong when Severus didn't show up to breakfast. He hadn't even sent little Samara to the Great Hall to eat. She spent much of the meal pondering before deciding to take him food in case he or Samara was sick. 

Balancing the two plates of food on her arm, Minerva left the Great Hall and set off for the dungeons. She made it to the door of Severus's quarters and knocked with the hand that wasn't holding food. 

"Come in," Severus called. Minerva opened the door and found Severus sitting on the floor with Samara in front of him. He was attempting to brush her hair up into two ponytails but she kept squirming. 

The toddler stopped moving upon seeing her and yelled out "Hi, Aunt Minnie!" while waving her small hand. 

"Would you like some help?" Minerva asked. She set the plates down on the coffee table. 

"Hold her, please," Severus said. Minerva sat down in front of him and reached for Samara. She stopped suddenly. 

"Severus, it's burning hot outside, you know. Why in the world is she wearing a sweater?" Minerva demanded. 

"Ah, yes, that was the first meltdown today," he said. He finally managed to get one ponytail tied. Minerva nodded and reached for the girl again before she noticed a half-eaten Chocolate Frog held tightly in Samara's tiny hands. 

"Severus, why is she eating candy at 8 in the morning?"

"And that was the second meltdown. That is why, instead of eating, I'm here on the floor just now doing her hair," he said, tying the second ponytail and releasing the toddler. Samara went over to Minerva and tried to hug her. 

"Oh no, child, you've got half of the frog all over your face!" Minerva exclaimed and conjured a rag to wipe up the mess on the toddler's face. After Samara was clean, Minerva pulled her into a hug and stood up with her. "You have got to learn how to say no to her." 

"I can't just say no to her. She's my child and my princess, I couldn't date deny her anything," was Severus's reply. 

Minerva rolled her eyes. "I'll take her to my classroom for a while if you'd like, Severus."

"Im not sure that's a good idea," Severus said, standing up to put the hair supplies away. 

"Oh please, Severus. I can handle a two-year-old." Minerva set Samara down. "Sam, go give your dad a kiss good bye," she said. Samara ran over to her dad and tugged on his hand until he bent down. She placed a quick kiss on his cheek. 

"Bye-bye, Daddy!" she said and ran back to Minerva. 

In Minerva's classroom, Samara wreaked havoc that would give Peeves a run for his money. She would steal the hedgehogs the students were supposed to be turning into pincushions from the desks and take them to play in the corner of the room, even having a tea party with a few of them at one point. She would open drawers and cabinets and empty their contents on the floor. At one point, she grew bored and took a random book off Minerva's book shelf and began tearing out the pages she thought had the prettiest pictures. Minerva was sure she spent more time chasing after the toddler than actually teaching the class. Just before lunch and in the middle of class, a disgruntled Minerva banged open the door of Severus's classroom holding a laughing Samara and marched up to Severus. 

"Here, take her," Minerva said, thrusting the toddler at Severus. "Little demon, she is. Damn near tore up my whole classroom!" 

Severus listened with eyebrows raised in amusement as Minerva continued to rant for another 5 minutes about what Samara had done. When she finally finished her tirade, Severus simply said "I told you it wouldn't be a good idea" and shut the classroom door, leaving Minerva on the outside still fuming. 

Severus looked at the toddler in his arms and smiled slightly. Samara giggled at him and held her hands up to his face, showing him the squirming hedgehog she was holding. He gave a chuckle and set her down. She went and sat at the chair behind his desk, setting the hedgehog on the desk and playing with it. 

Later after lunch, she would attempt to wreak havoc in Severus's room. Having been used to her doing this, he had baby-proofed the room. No books were within her reach, all cabinets and drawers were locked up, and the students knew to keep a close eye on the supplies they were working with so she couldn't take them. It was an unspoken rule that whoever was closest to the door had the added task of watching to make sure Samara didn't slip out. 

When Samara was a bit older, she would aid Peeves in annoying the students. She would throw paper balls at them and pinch them when they weren't looking. Peeves became her first real best friend, the two of them brought together by their common love of chaos and disturbance of peace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Single dad Severus is my life tbh. Thanks for reading!! -B1


	6. Porcupine Quills and New Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first day of classes

Upon arriving to the Great Hall, Samara sought out a place to sit. She found one of the boys she had been talking to before the Sorting- Neville, she remembered- and sat down next to him. 

"See, told you you wouldn't be Hufflepuff," Samara said to get his attention. Neville jumped a bit, surprised that she would sit next to him. 

"Oh, uhm, h-hi Samara," Neville said nervously. Samara smiled at him. 

"You can call me Sam if you'd like," she told him and started putting eggs on her plate. 

Neville relaxed a bit. "Alright, Sam." The schedules were being passed out. 

"What did you get? I'm pretty sure we have all the same classes," Samara said, taking Neville's schedule out of his hands to compare it to hers. "Yup, we do!" She handed it back to him. "We've got my dad first, see?" She pointed to the first class on her schedule where it said "Double Intro to Potions 1: 9-11"

"Oh, what's he like?" Neville asked. 

"Well, as a dad, he's awesome. As a teacher, well, let's just say he probably won't be Gryffindor's favorite," she said, spooning eggs into her mouth. "We're making a boil-curing potion today," she said around a mouthful of food. 

"Is that easy to make?" Neville asked nervously. 

Samara swallowed her food. "Not the easiest, but it's not too hard either." Neville nodded. 

After breakfast, she broke away from Neville to find Hermione, Lavender, and Parvati while Neville stayed with Seamus and Dean. 

"I'd prefer to sit in the back. The professor looks kinda scary, no offense, Sam," Lavender said on the way to the dungeons. 

"None taken," Samara replied. 

"I'll sit back there with you," Parvati said. "What about you, Hermione?"

"I'd quite like to sit in the front," Hermione said. 

"Then I'll sit with you," Samara said. They arrived at the classroom and began filling in the seats. At 9 precisely, the professor walked in. 

"There will be no foolish wand waving or silly incantations in this class," he said. "As such, I don't expect many of you to appreciate the subtle science and exact art that is potion making." He stopped at the front of the class, directly in front of Samara and Hermione. "However, for those select few who posses the predisposition..." He looked down at Samara and she smiled up at him. He gave a small smile back. "I can teach you how to bewitch the mind and ensnare the senses. I can tell you how to bottle fame, brew glory, and even put a stopper in death. Then again, maybe some of you have come to Hogwarts in possession of abilities so formidable..." He walked towards Harry. "That you feel confident enough not to pay attention." 

Ron elbowed Harry and he stopped writing and looked up. 

"Mister Potter! Our new celebrity." Professor Snape said. "Tell me, Potter, what would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

Samara looked back, not at Harry, but at her father in confusion. Hermione's hand shot into the air and Harry looked around as if he wasn't sure Snape had been talking to him. 

"I don't know, sir," Harry finally said. 

"Tut, tut. Clearly, fame isn't everything," Snape said, shaking his head. "Let's try again. Where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?" 

Hermione raised her hand even higher. 

"I don't know, sir," Harry said again. 

"Thought you wouldn't open a book before coming, eh, Potter?" Snape still ignored Hermione's raised hand. "What is the difference between between monkswood and wolfsbane?" 

Hermione stood up at this point, hand still raised. 

"I don't know, sir," Harry said. "I think that girl there does, why don't you try her?" 

"Sit down!" Snape snapped at Hermione. "For your information, Potter, asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is know as the-"

"Draught of the Living Dead," Samara interrupted. All eyes turned to her. "A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and will save you from most poisons. Monkswood and wolfsbane are the same plant, and it's known as aconite, too." The room was completely silent. "Honestly, dad, I don't know how you expect us to know all of this already. It's our first day of class and you haven't taught us anything. You could have spent these 10 minutes teaching us these things instead of making Harry look like a fool, you know." Everyone stared at her is shock. A Slytherin whipsered "Did she say 'dad'?"

"Yes, well, Samara, I'm not surprised in the least that you know these things," Snape said. "Now, today we will be making a simple potion: the Boil-Curing Potion. The instructions-" He flicked his wand at the blackboard and words appeared there. "-are on the board. You may begin." 

Snape walked around the classroom inspecting everyone's potions as they made them. He paused at Samara's table and looked at her cauldron. Satisfied with what he saw, he gave her a nod and a smile and moved on to the back of the room. He had barely begun inspecting Parvati's potion when a shout of alarm came from the front of the room. He turned to look and saw that Neville's cauldron had been melted through and the boy had gotten soaked with the incomplete potion. 

"Idiot boy!" Snape said, walking briskly to the front of the room. He swept away the mess with a wave of his wand. "I suppose you added the porcupine quills before taking the cauldron off the fire?"

Neville nodded weakly, already in pain from the boils erupting all over him. 

"Mister Finnegan, take Mister Longbottom to the hospital wing immediately," Snape said, sighing. 

As Neville passed Samara, he looked at her, meeting her eyes briefly before looking away in shame. When Seamus had closed the door behind him and Neville, Samara turned to her father. 

"You didn't have to call him an idiot!" Samara said angrily. The whole class looked at her in shock. 

Severus turned to her in surprise. "Well, he-"

"He made a simple mistake that any one of us could have made! That doesn't make him an idiot. Would I be an idiot if I messed up one step of a potion?" Samara demanded. 

"Samara, that's enough," Snape said. "See me after class." 

"Fine," Samara muttered and returned to her potion. 

She stayed behind at the end of class. She went to her father's desk and stood in front of him, arms crossed. 

"Well?" she said. "You wanted to see me?"

"Child, I don't what has gotten into you, but it has to stop," Severus said. 

"What do you mean 'what has gotten into me'?" 

"Talking back to me like you did! You've never done that," he explained. 

"Yeah, well you've never called one of my friends an idiot before," she retorted. 

"Friend? That boy is your friend?" he asked in surprise. 

"Yes, he is," she said. "He just made a simple mistake. He's not the first and I'm sure he won't be the last." With that, she slung her school bag over her shoulder and stormed out. 

She went to lunch and was relieved to find Neville there. She sat down next to him. 

"Hey, alright there, Neville?" Samara asked. 

"Yea, I'm alright, thanks," Neville said weakly. 

"Sorry about my dad. He can be kind of an arse sometimes."

"Oh, it's alright. But, uhm, can I ask you something?" 

"Of course, Nev."

"Is he always going to be that terrifying?"


	7. Down with the Sickness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In with Samara is sick and the author is too hype about an upcoming Disturbed concert they are going to

One time when Samara was 2, as everything seemed to happen when she was 2, she grew violently ill. 

It started out with simple cold symptoms to which Severus took her to Madam Pomfrey and was told it was just a common illness and would soon pass. He was given medicine for the toddler and was sent on his way.

Days went by with Severus giving Samara the medicine regularly as told with no improvement. If anything, she was getting worse. After a week, it was obvious that it wasn't a simple cold. 

Severus took Samara back to the hospital wing and was given a different medicine and once again sent on his way. Another week passed with Samara's condition worsening. Madam Pomfrey was sure that it would pass soon. 

In the three worst weeks of the illness, Samara barely remained conscious. Severus didn't want to leave her alone in the hospital wing but couldn't stop teaches classes for nearly a month, so he kept Samara with him in the classroom with Madam Pomfrey stopping by every hour to check on her and administer medicine. Severus usually carried the child on his hip while she slept with her pacifier in her mouth. All of the girls in his classes thought this was the cutest thing ever, of course. 

Samara would randomly wake up and start crying in discomfort or pain. This only lasted a few seconds before she fell unconscious again. She barely ate and was kept bundled in a blanket in her father's arms. 

Severus allowed Samara to sleep in his bed with him during those three weeks. Rather than being spread out like she usually slept, she would pull blankets tight around her and scoot as close to her father as possible to try to keep warm. There would be times where he would wake up to find her shivering violently, almost seizure-like, and he would pull her into his arms and hold her until the worst tremors subsided. 

When she was awake, her feverish state kept her weak. She couldn't walk and whatever progress in potty training Severus had made with her was thrown out the window. She had to be fed by hand and could barely keep down solid food. 

This terrified Severus to no end. He had already lost Samara's mother and was scared he might lose Samara, too. One night during one of her trembling fits, Severus found himself crying in fear. Tears still streaming silently down his face, he scooped up the toddler and set off for the hospital wing, still in his pajamas. 

He made it there to find Madam Pomfrey just emerging from one curtained-off room. She saw him with the bundled Samara in his arms and her face fell. She motioned him into one of the empty rooms and he sat on the bed. 

"She's not getting any better," Severus said quietly. "Poppy, I beg of you, do anything you can to help her."

Madam Pomfrey nodded and thought for a moment. "Severus, do you happen to have a bezoar?" she finally asked. 

"A bezoar?" Severus cried in shock. "You think she's been poisoned?" 

"Maybe not intentionally, not unless someone wanted to get back at you for something. And I know the poisons you have are nowhere near a place she could reach," Madam Pomfrey said. "It may be your students aren't watching their cauldrons correctly enough." At this, Severus nodded. "Now, go find that bezoar I asked you for."

Severus laid Samara on the bed and went back to the dungeons to find the stone. When he arrived back at the hospital wing, Madam Pomfrey was now cradling Samara. She had set out a mortar and pestle along with a small amount of water and a pipette. She handed Samara back to Severus and took the stone from him. She set to work grinding it and then added a small amount of the powder to the water and filled the pipette. 

"Alright, hold her still now, Severus," Madam Pomfrey said. She pulled Samara's pacifier out of her mouth and dribbled the solution between her lips. When the toddler had swallowed, her pacifier was replaced. "If it'll work, it shouldn't take but a little bit."

Right after she said it, Samara began sweating and struggling to get out of the blanket cocoon she was in. Severus put her on the bed and unwrapped her. 

"What's happening?" he asked worriedly. 

"Her fever's finally broken!" Madam Pomfrey cried joyously. Severus sighed in relief. The toddler began to cry in discomfort and Madam Pomfrey went to retrieve a cold cloth. She pressed it to Samara's forehead and the little girl opened her eyes. 

"Daddy?" she asked around her pacifier. 

"Yes, princess?" He kneeled by the bed. 

"Is hot," she groaned. 

"Yes, I know, you'll feel better soon," he said. 

Less than an hour later, they were back in their quarters. It was only 1 in the morning so they went back to sleep, Samara sleeping spread out as she usually did. 

The next day, Severus swept into his morning potions class with Samara on his hip as usual, but with a new purpose. "Wands away," he said. The students exchanged confused glances but obeyed. "Now, I believe we all need to have a talk about the importance of classroom safety." He closed the door behind him. 

A curly-haired Hufflepuff girl raised her hand. "Sir, we went over classroom safety at the beginning of the year, remember?" she said quietly. 

"Of course I remember," he sneered. "But it seems some of you have forgotten one very important rule: always watch your workspace. Now, as you all know, Samara has been quite ill lately. Well, Madam Pomfrey determined that she had been poisoned."

The students looked at him is surprise, some even gasping in shock. They began muttering amongst themselves. 

"I am going to assume..." he began. The class quieted. "... that it was unintentional. I hope, for your sake, that it was. Now, as her father, I know better than anyone that Samara has a certain... gift... for getting her hands on just about anything. For this reason, I urge all of-"

"Hi, Vicky!" Samara suddenly yelled, waving furiously at a Ravenclaw girl near the back of the classroom. Vicky waved back. 

"As I was saying," Severus continued, used to Samara interrupting him. "I urge all of you to keep a closer eye on your workspace. I assure you, if my daughter falls ill at the hands of an irresponsible student again, there will be hell to pay." He paused to let the words sink in. "Now, today's instructions are on the board. Please begin." He set Samara down and she immediately went back to wreaking havoc just as she used to. After all, she had nearly a month to make up for

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! -B1


	8. Look At This Photograph

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After class, Samara is shown photos she never saw

After classes, Samara decided to do her homework with her father. She knocked on the door to his office and didn't wait for him to say "come in" before entering. He looked surprised that it was her. 

"I thought you were upset with me," he said softly. 

"Yeah, well, I got bored so I thought I'd work on the essay you gave us here," she said. She pulled a chair up to his desk and sat down. She took out a roll of parchment and a quill and wrote the "The Properties of Porcupine Quills in Potions" across the top. Her father had returned to writing out his lesson plans. 

Severus looked up when Samara suddenly whispered "Psst! Hey, dad!"

"What is it, Samara?" he asked. 

"What are the properties of porcupine quills in potions?" she asked innocently. He rolled his eyes. 

"Samara, I can not help you with the homework that I have assigned," he said. "However, there's a book on the shelf called 'Animals in Potions' or something like that. You are welcome to borrow it."

Samara went to the book shelf and scanned the spines until she found the book. She used the index to find the page and flipped it open. She groaned when she saw the section on porcupine quills. 

"What's the matter?" Severus asked. 

"Ugh, his is so much reading," Samara complained. She sat back down in the chair and put the book in her lap. 

"You don't even need the book, I'm sure. You know the properties and uses of porcupine quills," he said. "Where is Quasimodo?" he asked upon noticing the cat's absence. 

"My dorm, sleeping," she said. "And I don't feel like thinking right now."

"You don't feel like thinking, you don't feel like reading. You're going to have a horrible time writing this essay, you know." 

"I know, I know. I have until next week to finish it, anyways," she said, closing the book and putting it in her bag along with her quill and parchment. 

"Samara, there's something I'd like to show you," Severus said suddenly and went to his quarters. He came back with a photo album and handed it to Samara. She opened it to the first page and on it was a picture of her father and mother dancing together. She smiled. Severus pulled up a chair beside her and sat down. 

"Oh, I always hated dancing," Severus said. "But your mother loved it. I think you get it from her."

"Then why did you?" Samara asked. "Dance, I mean."

"You see, Samara, when you truly love someone, you'd go to the ends of the universe just to see them smile," he said. Samara nodded and turned the page. The next picture was her mother holding up a piece of paper from St. Mungo's. It read: "Pregnancy: Positive. 6 weeks along. Expected Gender: Female."

"That was the day we found out we were having you," Severus said. 

"Did you want a boy or a girl?" Samara asked. 

"Honestly, I always wanted a girl," he replied. "You're mother never let me spoil her so I needed someone." The next few pictures were mostly progressions of her mother's stomach through the pregnancy. Severus stopped her on one. "Your mother was only 6 months pregnant here. Everyone thought you would come any day at that point!" It was true, her mother had looked 9 months pregnant. "When on the day you were born, the midwife told everyone to prepare for twins, that's how big your mother's stomach was." They both laughed. 

There were pictures here and there that weren't of just her stomach. There was a picture of her father painting the walls of her nursery. There was another one of her mother organizing all the baby onesies ("She was obsessed with your room being completely ready for you.") and one of a view into her crib that was made up with a blanket and stuffed rabbit. "A gift from the Malfoy's," her father explained about the toy. The second to last picture was of her mother in the hospital bed obviously well into her labor. She was sweaty and tired but was giving the camera a thumbs-up to show she was okay. The last picture in the album was the first one ever taken of Samara. Severus had just brought her home and laid her down to sleep when he took it. She was swaddled in a pale pink blanket with a matching hat. 

Samara closed the album and handed it back to her father. "Would you like to see your baby pictures?" Severus asked her. 

"Oh, God," Samara groaned as her father went to retrieve the new album.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the read!! -B1


	9. Milestones

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A lot of Samara's firsts

Samara's first word wasn't "daddy" as everyone expected it to be. It wasn't anything complex as the Malfoy's son's first word- sentence, rather- which was "I said to stop that!" Her first word was simply "no".

It was June 5, 1981 and Severus and Samara were at the Malfoy Manor to celebrate Draco's first birthday a day before his actual big birthday party. Samara was only 9 1/2 months at the time. She was sitting on the carpet next to Draco as he opened a couple of his presents. Narcissa was next to him to help him pull open the wrapping. 

Samara had been drinking juice from a bottle and had finished and was now simply hugging the bottle. Severus went to take the bottle away from her. When he grabbed the bottle and started pulling it away from her, she pulled it back and shouted "no!" Severus raised his eyebrows but let the bottle be. 

"Some first word," Lucius said, laughing. 

Samara's first birthday was a simple gathering. Severus invited the Malfoys and the Potters (of which only Lily showed up with Harry in her arms). Draco was walking- running, more so- at this point. 

"He didn't have first steps," Narcissa joked. "He had a first run and just escalated from there." 

The Malfoys eyed Lily nastily at first but Severus, having enough of it, took them aside and told them to knock it off, it was a birthday party for a baby. After that, they forced themselves to be nice. 

Samara forwent blowing out the candle on her cake and instead chose to bury her hands into the cake and shove chunks into her mouth. Lily, who had made the cake, laughed, exclaiming "At least she likes it!"

When the Malfoys had gone home and it was just Severus and Lily, they sat on the couch of his living room to talk while Samara and Harry played in front of them. 

"Hogwarts has a new position opening, I was thinking of applying," Severus said, watching as the babies rolled a ball back and forth between each other. 

"I think you should," Lily said. "Sorry James couldn't come. You know how he is..."

"Oh, I'm not too upset about that, don't worry," Severus laughed. They were silent for a few minutes after that. 

"I'm pregnant, you know. Only about 5 weeks along right now," Lily said quietly. Severus looked at her in surprise. "I'm trying to convince James to let you be the godfather, if you're okay with that, of course."

"Oh, I'd love to!" Severus replied, smiling. "I'm, uhm, sorry about how Lucius and Narcissa were earlier." 

"Oh, that's alright," Lily waved her hand dismissively. She then stood up and picked up Harry. "I must be getting home now, it's getting late and I don't feel like hearing James complain." 

"Of course," Severus said, standing and opening the front door for her. "Thank you again for coming, Lily." 

"Oh, it was no trouble at all! I've been wanting to visit for quite some time now," she said, walking out. She was halfway down the steps when Severus called out to her. 

"Oh, and Lily?" he called. She turned to face him. "They're a rotten crowd, the Malfoys. You're worth the whole damn bunch."

Lily laughed. "Gatsby?"

"I read it, like you said," Severus said. Lily laughed again and Disapparated. 

Her first steps took place on the first day of Severus's job as potions master. Since she was 10 months old, she had been practicing walking only by holding her father's hands. Now she was almost 13 months and had nearly mastered it. 

It was on the way to lunch. Severus was holding Samara's tiny hands as she walked when she suddenly let go. He immediately tried to grab her as he thought she would fall. However, she simply kept walking. She was extremely wobbly yet managed to walk the rest of the way to the Great Hall. She walked up the rows of students at the tables and headed toward McGonagall. She reached her arms up to be picked up when she reached the woman. 

McGonagall lifted up the toddler and set her on her lap. "Oh, aren't you just precious!" she exclaimed. "Severus, is this your daughter?" 

"Yes, I'm sorry about her," he said, moving to retrieve her.

"Oh, don't be, I think she's adorable," she said. She handed Samara back to her father. He went and sat down in his place at the professors' table, settling Samara into his lap. 

Samara's first mischief happened towards the end of Severus's first year teaching. He was packing things in his office up for the summer. He was reading off a list to make sure he packed all of Samara's things when Samara suddenly yelled "Hi, daddy!". He didn't think much of it and replied "Hello, princess". 

When he turned around to see if she was trying to get his attention to show him something, he was shocked when he didn't see her. Cookie crumbs suddenly fell on his head from above. He looked up slowly and nearly had a heart attack. 

Samara was standing on the ceiling while eating a cookie she no doubt got from McGonagall. Severus had to support himself on the desk to keep from fainting. 

"Samara," he said slowly. "Please come down from there." His voice shook despite his attempts to keep it calm. Samara simply giggled and took another bite of the cookie. She started jumping up and down as if the ceiling were the floor. Severus gave out a shout and yelled at her to stop. 

After much coaxing and a promise of ice cream in Hogsmeade, Samara finally walked across the ceiling and down the wall where Severus went to scoop her into his arms. 

Samara's first spell was "Engorgio", which she performed using her father's (borrowed without his permission) wand on a stuffed animal when she was 5. Her father, however upset that she took his wand without asking, was quite impressed that at such a young age Samara could already control her magic to some degree. 

Severus bought Samara her wand when she was 8. Severus originally planned on waiting until she got her official Hogwarts letter to buy it for her but was forced to buy it for her sooner when she learned that Draco was going to get his wand early. Upon learning this, Samara of course began to whine and beg, saying "My best friend is getting his wand early, why can't I?" Lucius, using his influence and money, had managed to get the Ministry to bend the rules for them to get their wands early. 

George Weasley was her first crush. Samara was one of very few people who could consistently tell the twins apart. 

"They're the exact same," a girl named Angelina (who was in Fred and George's year) once said when Samara told her about her crush. 

"No, they're not," Samara defended. "Fred is a lot louder and talks a lot more than George does." 

When Samara told Draco about her crush, Draco sneered and said, "Why that stupid blood traitor?" Narcissa was the first to point out to Severus that Draco would find something wrong with Samara's crush even if it was a pure blood who hated Muggles as he was simply jealous.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you for reading! Sorry this took so long to post! -B1


	10. Broomsticks, Arguments, and Heartthrobs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First flying lesson

"Alright, stand to the left of your broom, hold your hand over it, and say 'Up'" Madam Hooch said. When everyone had done so, she instructed them to mount their brooms. "Alright, on my count, rise into the air. 1, 2-" Before she could finish, Neville's broom took off by mistake. When he had fallen off (as everyone knew we would), Madam Hooch ran to him and announced his broken wrist. She stood up with him. 

"I'm going to take Mister Longbottom to the hospital wing," Madam Hooch said. "If I see a single broom in the air, you will be back on the train home tomorrow!" She began walking Neville passed the students to take him to Madam Pomfrey. 

As he passed Samara, she whispered, "Are you okay?" Neville kept his head down in shame and said nothing. This was the second time he had made a fool out of himself in front of her in as many days. 

When Neville and Madam Hooch were inside, Draco announced loudly, "Look at this!" Everyone turned to see him holding Neville's Remembrall. "Maybe if the fat lump had given this a squeeze, he would have remembered to land on his fat arse!"

Samara went up to him and held her hand out. "Give it here, Draco. I'll give it to him later."

Draco mounted his broom. "Come get it, then," he said and took off. 

Suddenly Harry got on his broom and announced, "I'll get it!" He took off after Draco. 

"Get down, both of you! You're going to get in trouble!" Samara called. The boys ignored her. "Great, the Boy Who Lived and my best friend are both going to be expelled," she muttered. 

Harry chased Draco around for a while before Draco grew bored of this little game and threw the glass ball downwards. Amazingly, Harry dived and caught it. Less amazingly, he did so in full view of McGonagall's office window. 

Harry was just landing as McGonagall was coming outside. "Mister Potter!" she called. Everyone froze. "Come with me this instant!" Harry gave Samara the Remembrall and followed McGonagall into the castle. When they were inside, Samara turned to Draco. 

"You idiot!" Samara exclaimed, shoving Draco. "He's going to get expelled because of you!"

"I didn't force him on to the broom," Draco said, turning up his nose. "I told you to get it, not him, anyways. It was his choice." 

Samara scoffed. "You're just mad that the great Harry Potter doesn't want to be your friend," she said teasingly. At this, everyone suddenly became interested in their argument and stared at Draco as his face reddened.

"That is not the reason!" he yelled. 

"Yes it is, Draco. You've known be 11 years now so you know I'm not as stupid as people think."

Draco approached her and put his reddened face close to her smirking one. "Samara Temperance, if you don't shut up, I'll tell everyone-"

"And I'll make sure to tell my father that you got Lily's son expelled," Samara interrupted. Draco was silent for a few moments. 

He then opened his mouth to retort but was cut off by Madam Hooch. "Alright, children. Back on your brooms now," she said as she came out of the castle. 

That day at lunch, Samara was ecstatic to see both Neville and Harry sitting together at the table. 

"Harry!" she called as she approached them. "You're still here?"

"I didn't get expelled, luckily," Harry explained. "I just got put on the Quidditch team as the Seeker." 

"As a first year?" Samara asked incredulously. "That's amazing!" She took the empty seat next to Neville, who still wouldn't look at her. "How is your wrist, Nev? Madam Pomfrey fixed it up, yeah?"

"Yeah, it's alright now, thanks," Neville said quietly and quickly. Samara frowned but didn't push further. 

After classes, Samara went to her father's office. When she entered, Severus immediately knew something was wrong with her. "What's wrong, Samara?" he asked as she took the seat across from his desk. 

"Me and Draco kind of got into a fight today," she said sadly. 

"A fight?" Severus asked. "What about?"

"He almost got someone in a lot of trouble and I didn't think it was funny like he did," Samara explained. 

"Hm," Severus said. "Well, knowing you two, you'll be best friends tomorrow again. You two are getting older and forming separate opinions on things. You just need to learn to work past your differences if you want to keep being friends." 

Samara nodded in understanding. 

"Now that that's out of the way, how was your first flying lesson?" Severus asked. 

"It was alright," Samara said. "Neville fell off his broom and broke his wrist."

"Two times in the hospital wing in as many days. At 11 years old, I'm amazed this child is still alive," Severus remarked. Samara laughed. "He's got a crush on you, I can tell."

"Does he, now?"

"Yes, the way he looks at you makes it obvious." Samara laughed again. "You should go on and do your homework." 

Samara nodded and stood to leave. "Alright. I'll see you tomorrow then, love you!" she said and opened the door. 

"I love you, too," Severus called. "I'm here if you need anything." The door closed behind Samara and he sighed. "Where did the years go?" he asked himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry this took so long! I had major writers block but I think I'm back on track. Thanks for sticking with me! (Also, super dad Severus is still my life) -B1


	11. Baby Names and Dandelions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few memories concerning Amelia and her death

"What about Eileen?"

"I don't want to name her after my mother."

Severus and Amelia lay in bed late one night. The heartburn from the pregnancy wouldn't allow Amelia to sleep and the potions weren't working so Severus decided to stay up with her as they discussed baby names. 

"Margaret?" Severus suggested. 

"There is no way in hell I'm naming my baby some grandmother name," Amelia said. 

"Hm. Lily?" Severus asked.

"You and your weird Lily fetish!" Amelia exclaimed.

"She's my best friend!" Severus defended. 

"Ooh! I thought of a good one! What about Samara?" Amelia asked, shifting so her head lay on Severus's chest. "It goes well with your name, I think."

"I like it," Severus said. "I like Margaret more, though."

"We are not naming her Margaret, you idiot!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"And her name, sir?" the healer asked as she was helping Severus fill out the baby's birth certificate. 

There was a brief moment in which Severus fully considered writing down Margaret Lily Snape what with no one to protest it. 

"Samara," he said finally. "Samara Temperance Snape."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"We're off now, but really, Severus, if there is anything at all you need, Lucius and I are just an owl away," Narcissa said. Severus had sent owls to both the Malfoys and the Potters telling them of Amelia's death. The Malfoys showed up first and were now leaving to tend to Draco. They left the home and Apparated away. Not even a minute had passed before there was a knock on the front door. Severus opened to door to find Lily and James. 

"Severus!" Lily exclaimed and flung her arms around his neck. "We came as soon as we got the owl. Are you alright?" she asked as she pulled back. 

"I'm fine," Severus said quietly. He stepped aside and gestured for them to come in and closed the door behind them.

"Where's the baby?" Lily asked. Severus pointed to a room in the back. Lily went to get the baby. 

"Do the healers have any idea what happened?" James asked quietly. Severus turned to him. 

"They, uhm, believe there was something in her brain called an aneurysm. The pressure of pushing Samara out caused it to rupture and that killed her." James nodded, shifting Harry in his arms. 

"Look, Severus, I know we haven't exactly had the best history, but if you need anything, anything at all, Lily and I are here for you, yeah?" James said. 

"Thank you, James. It's just..." Severus stopped and pulled the engagement ring from his pocket. "I was going to propose to her right after Samara was born. I suppose I'll just save the ring for when Samara is 50 or so and I finally allow her to get married." He and James shared a small laugh at that. 

"Hey, maybe it'll be Harry here asking for that ring," James said. They laughed again. 

"Oh, Severus, she's just beautiful!" Lily said as she waltzed back into the room, Samara in her arms. "She looks just like Amelia." she said quieter. 

"All the healers were strangely obsessed with her hair. One of them gave me a lot of bows to use on her," Severus said. 

"She has a lot of it, gets it from you," Lily said. "What about her eyes? She hasn't opened them for me yet."

"Mine," Severus said. "Pity, I wanted her to have Amelia's." He recalled her beautiful hazel eyes, so much more lively than his dark brown ones. 

"I think yours are just fine, Severus," Lily said, stroking her fingers over Samara's soft black hair. She then turned to Severus. "Would you like us to keep her for the night, Severus."

Severus shook his head. "Thank you, but I'm worried what I might do if I'm completely alone."

"Alright. Would you like to stay the night at our house?" Lily asked. 

"It's fine, I really don't want to be any trouble-"

"It's no trouble, Severus," James said, surprising them. "Go pack your things, me and Lily will pack Samara's. You're in no state to be alone, especially not with a newborn." 

Severus nodded and went to get his things. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I think I'll be fine now, Lily," Severus said. He had fully intended to stay with the Potters for only one night, but after much fussing from Lily, he had been coerced to stay day after day. Soon, a week had passed. 

"I still don't think you should be alone in that house so soon," Lily said, sitting across from him as they ate breakfast. 

"Lily, he is 20 years old, not your baby. I'm sure he can handle himself and Samara and if he needs anything he can send us an owl," James said. 

Severus nodded. "Besides, I need to start getting Samara used to the house and find someone to keep her while I go to work." 

"Are you still making the potions for St. Mungo's?" Lily asked. 

"Yes, for the children's ward," Severus responded. "I'm applying for the Defense Against the Dark Arts position at Hogwarts when it opens next."

"I'm sure you'd be perfect for that," James said sarcastically. 

"James, please," Lily said in warning. "The Defense teachers never hold their positions for more than a year, though. The Potions Master is getting pretty old, why not wait a year or so for that position to open up?" 

Severus nodded. "I suppose that would be best." 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Daddy!" 

Severus looked up from the book he was reading to see Samara running towards him. "What is it, princess?" he asked. 

She stopped in front of him and held out her hand, showing him the dandelions, tiny flowers, and other weeds she had picked from around the grounds. 

"I picked these flowers for you, daddy," Samara said sweetly. Severus smiled warmly at the three-year-old. 

"Thank you, Samara," he said as he took them from her. She smiled her gap-toothed smile and ran back out in the field between the castle and Hagrid's hut. A few minutes later he called her back to him. 

"Your braid is falling out," he muttered as he began pulling one of the rubber bands out of her hair. 

"No, no, is okay, is okay," Samara said, trying to pull away. Severus kept a hold on her hair until she gave in with a huff. Severus quickly rebraided that half of her hair and sent her back out to play. 

When it began getting dark, Severus called Samara so they could go back inside. While they were walking back to their quarters, Samara asked, "Daddy, can we get ice cream?"

"Ice cream? Maybe tomorrow," Severus replied. 

After Severus gave Samara a bath, they sat down in the kitchen area for a snack. As they ate, Severus gazed at his daughter and tried hard not to wonder what it would be like if she still had her mother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry these chapters are taking so long! I made this one pretty long though. Thanks so much for reading! -B1


	12. AUTHOR'S NOTE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AUTHOR'S NOTE- NOT A STORYLINE CHAPTER

Hey guys! I'm so sorry I've barely been updating this summer. I've had 0 motivation but since school is starting tomorrow, I'll have more drive to do things and will hopefully post more frequently. I also have another fic in the works that I'm almost done with the first chapter of. Thanks for sticking with me and for still reading! Love you guys! -B1


	13. Quidditch and Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Samara and Neville begin to grow close

"I've never really felt like I was missing something, you know?" Samara said to Neville. They had gone out on the balcony of the Gryffindor common room to have more peace. Harry had secured the win for their house at the first Quidditch match of the year and inside, the party was in full swing. 

Samara and Neville were now talking about their childhoods, more specifically, their parents. 

"I think my dad tried very hard for me to not feel like I was missing out on something big because I didn't have a mom," Samara said. Neville nodded. 

"I don't remember my parents at all either," Neville said. 

"What happened to them?" Samara asked carefully. Neville was quiet for a moment.

"If I tell you, can you promise not to tell anyone?" 

"Of course!"

Neville drew in a deep breath. "I little bit after the Dark Lord fell, the Death Eaters took my dad and tortured him for information on where he could be. When that didn't work, they took my mom and did the same. They went crazy from it."

"Where are they now?" Samara asked. 

"St. Mungo's. Gran says they're gonna be there forever." They were quiet for a moment. Neville was the one to break the silence, asking, "Is your dad really as mean as he seems?"

Samara laughed. "Only when he teaches. He doesn't like people thinking he's soft or something, I guess. When it's just me and him, he's awesome." She was silent for a moment. "He's hurting a lot inside, I think," she said quietly. "He lost my mom and Harry's mom within less than 2 years."

"Harry's mom?" Neville asked. "He knew Harry's mom?"

"Yeah, they were best friends since they were 9 until she died. She's my godmother, actually." 

"Who's your godfather?" 

"My mom's brother, Antony," Samara answered. "He's still alive. He comes to visit every summer and every Christmas and always brings me a ton of presents since he travels a lot."

Neville nodded. "Does Harry know about your dad and his mom?"

"Pretty sure not. He hasn't seen me or my dad since he were 16 months old."

"I think you should tell him."

"Maybe."

\----------------------------------

"Dad?"

"Yes, princess?" Severus asked as he turned to face her where she was standing in the doorway of his office. 

It was nearly 2 in the morning and he was still in his office organizing things and doing lesson plans. 

"You should be sleeping," Samara frowned. 

"I could say the same to you." He walked over to her and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "What's on your mind, Samara?"

Samara sighed. "A lot of my friends think you're mean or evil or something. But they don't know you like I do."

Severus chuckled. "Of course they don't know me like you do, they haven't been raised by me for 11 years. Even if they did know me that long, they won't know me the same as you do. I'm different to them then I am to you." Samara nodded. 

"Can you tell me about Aunt Lily?" Samara asked suddenly. 

"Come sit," Severus said and gestured to his desk. When they sat, he asked her, "What do you want to know about her?"

Samara shrugged. "I don't know, how did you guys meet, how were you in school, things like that."

Severus nodded. He took a moment to think before saying, "We met when we were 9, you already know that. I was in this large tree I would often go to when I didn't feel like being around my father. I heard some shouting and I looked and her rotten sister was shouting at her, something about her being a freak. I suppose she got scared when she saw me since she left Lily be and went back home."

"Did you really look that bad?" Samara joked. Severus gave her a small shove. 

They talked for nearly an hour before both decided it was time for bed. As Severus walked Samara to the door he said, "The first thing your aunt Lily said about you was that you had a lot of hair, you know." Samara laughed. 

"I get it from you!" she exclaimed, yawning. 

"Go to bed, princess. I'll see you tomorrow," Severus said softly as he opened the door. Before Samara walked off she turned to her father and hugged him tight around his waist. 

"I love you, dad," she said. Severus hugged her back. 

"I love you too, princess."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know if for the next chapter (flashback) it should be about Draco and Samara or Amelia and Severus. I'm seriously debating. Thanks for sticking with me on this unplanned hiatus! Thanks for reading! -B1


	14. Birthday Surprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amelia gives Severus the best present he can think of

January 8, 1980

As Severus stood at the stove cooking breakfast, he felt two arms wrap around his waist. 

"You know what today is, yeah?" Amelia asked. 

"Tuesday?" Severus replied. 

"Not just Tuesday, silly! It's your last day of being a teenager!" Amelia laughed. It was true; tomorrow would be Severus's 20th birthday. "And I have an amazing present for you! But, you can't have it until tomorrow."

Severus groaned. "You know I hate surprises." Amelia laughed and moved to sit on the counter beside the stove. 

"It'll be worth it, I promise," Amelia said, leaning in to kiss Severus. "Would you like me to cook breakfast tomorrow?"

Severus laughed loudly. "Please no, I'd quite like it if our house didn't burn down on my birthday," he said, remembering the various times that Amelia proved just how horrible of a cook she was. 

"Do you want to go out for dinner, then? We can invite the Potters," Amelia suggested. 

"Does it have to be both of them? Can we just invite Lily?" Severus pleaded. Amelia pinched him. 

"Be nice, Severus."

"Yea, yea, I get it, you're a Hufflepuff, peace to the world and whatnot." Amelia pinched him again. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

January 9, 1980

"Psst, Severus," Amelia whispered, rolling so her head rested on his chest. 

"Hmm, what is it?" Severus asked tiredly, rubbing sleep from his eyes. 

"Would you like your present now, love?" Amelia asked. Severus smiled and nodded. 

Amelia stood up and looked around for something to put on so she wouldn't have to walk around completely naked. 

"It's our house, you know. You don't have to get dressed," Severus commented. 

"Yes, well, it's the middle of winter and it's freezing, so I'm putting something on," she said, picking up one of Severus's jumpers from the ground and putting it on. It was several sizes too large seeing as Severus was just over 6 feet tall and Amelia was only 4'9". 

Severus closed his eyes for a bit until he was being poked awake again. "Come on then," Amelia said, urging him to sit up. She handed him a simple, unmarked envelope. 

He opened it carefully and unfolded the parchment from St. Mungo's that was inside. He read it carefully and his heart skipped a beat. He read it again. He looked up at Amelia. 

"I'm gonna be a dad," he whispered. "I'm gonna be a dad!" he said louder this time. Amelia nodded, smiling wide. He pulled her close to him and kissed her. When he released her, he looked down at the paper again. "Oh my goodness, we're gonna have a little girl!" 

"Lily and James are having a boy," Amelia reminded him. "Maybe they can get married when they're older," she joked. 

"Oh, no," Severus laughed. "She's never getting married!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

June 17, 1980

Amelia and Severus lay in bed, Severus already sleeping. Amelia, however, had no such luck. 

"Severus," she said, poking him. 

"Hm, what's wrong?" he asked worriedly, half asleep. 

"She won't stop moving," Amelia said, pointing at her stomach. "Tell her to stop."

Severus sighed and moved so his head rested lightly on Amelia's stomach. "Hey, princess," he whispered. "I need you to stop moving so much, okay? Mommy needs to sleep. If you don't let her sleep, then she'll be too tired to play with you when you come out." 

Amelia laughed and carded her fingers through Severus's hair. 

"It's time for you to go to sleep too, princess," Severus continued. "We can play all day and night when you get here, I promise." He ended with a kiss to Amelia's stomach and laid back down next to her. "Better?" he asked. 

Amelia paused for a moment to see if the baby would move again. After a few seconds, she declared, "Much! Thanks, love." She kissed Severus and turned to finally go to sleep. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

September 16, 1981 (3:24 AM)

"Daddy!" a tiny voiced called from another room. Severus sighed and sat up in his bed. "DADDY!" 

"Daddy's on his way, princess," he said. He dragged himself out of bed and into the nursery. "What's wrong?" he asked. 

"Daddy!" 13 month old Samara said again while holding her arms out to be picked up. Severus picked her up and hugged her. She giggled. 

"We have to go to sleep, princess. Daddy has work tomorrow," Severus said as he checked to make sure her diaper was still clean. He went to lay her back down, but she clung to him harder. Rather than fight with her to lay in her crib (an ordeal that would end up in Severus losing more sleep and Samara crying loudly) he took her to his bed and lay her down there. After wrapping her up, she quickly fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys! I'm so so sorry I haven't been updating! Between school (senior year of high school), drama practice (I perform in 2 days!) and music lessons (I'm learning ukulele for my senior project) I have had 0 time for this fic! I will continue to update of course. I also have another one in the works, so stay tuned! Thank you for sticking with me for this long! -B1


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